


The best christmas present

by DarkShadow_2y5



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fashion Designer Magnus Bane, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, M/M, Old Friends, Police Officer Alec Lightwood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-02-18 03:55:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 20,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21971266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkShadow_2y5/pseuds/DarkShadow_2y5
Summary: Police officer Alec Lightwood is more than surprised when his childhood crush and now famous Fashion Designer Magnus Bane shows up in town again a few days before christmas. He hasn't seen him for a very long time and he is still feeling gulity because of a mistake he has made in their past. But maybe Magnus can forgive him? Maybe Alec can gain him back as his friend or maybe he is even returning the romantic feelings he still has for him? That would definitely be the best christmas present.
Relationships: Clary Fray/Jace Wayland, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Simon Lewis/Isabelle Lightwood
Comments: 68
Kudos: 206





	1. Chapter 1

"Alexander … I'm sorry to interrupt your work but I have to talk to you for a moment." 

Alec Lightwood looked up from the accident report he had just been writing and frowned in confusion. Had he done something wrong?  
He had no idea what his boss wanted from him and even though he had never been in any trouble before he felt slightly nervous all of a sudden.

"Uhm … okay" he said and followed Mr. Garroway into his office.

"Sit down please" he said as soon as Alec had closed the door behind him and gestured at the empty chair opposite to his. Alec sat down and cleared his throat.

"So … uh … what is the matter? If it's about the report I'm almost finished with it …" 

"No, it's not about the report. It's about your christmas vacation." 

"Oh. I don’t need …" 

"Yes you do" Mr. Garroway interrupted him with a serious expression on his face. "You're a good officer, Alexander but you also have to take a time out now and then. I can't just let you work throughout the entire year. It's not possible." 

Alec sighed. "I understand. How long is the vacation going to be then?" 

"Starting from tomorrow till the end of the month" Mr. Garroway said. 

Alec nodded. "Alright." He was about to stand up but Mr. Garroway held him back by putting a hand on his shoulder. "Take some time to relax and enjoy life. I know that you love your job but it's important to also have other contacts outside from work as well." 

"I know" Alec mumbled. People always told him that. If only it were that easy. 

Alec had always been more of a lone wolf. He enjoyed working and being alone. Other people were just annoying him most of the time but of course nobody was able to understand how he felt. 

Also christmas usually wasn't a very joyful time for him. It just remembered him of betrayal and heartbreak so he really wasn't in the mood to celebrate. 

It looked as if Luke was about to say something else when suddenly the phone on his desk was ringing. He signaled Alec not to leave until he was finished and picked up. 

"Police Department … Oh, Maryse. Did something happen?" 

Immediately Alec was alarmed. Maryse was his mother. She was running a little bed and breakfast at the outskirts of the village and that she was calling the police was definitely unusual. 

Tensely Alec waited till Luke had ended the call and asked then what was going on. 

"Apparently one of your mother's guests is missing" Luke explained. "He was supposed to arrive today in the noon but he still didn't show up. She thinks that he has probably been surprised by the snowstorm and that he's in trouble. I want you and Andrew to take care of this. Search the area but drive carefully and stay in contact with me all the time." 

Alec nodded, glad that he had something to do. "Of course, Sir" he said and left the room in order to inform his partner. 

Andrew and Alec were working together for approximately two years now and he was one of the best friends he had ever had. 

"So where are we supposed to start looking?" he asked when the two of them were sitting inside the police car together a few minutes later. "He could be everywhere." 

"Well… I guess we just have to hope that whatever has happened to him has happened here in the area. If not the police station of the next bigger city is responsible" Alec said and started the car.

"I just hope we will find him soon. Being lost out there in that weather must truly be very unpleasant." 

Alec could only agree with him. Without losing any time he turned the headlight and the wiper on and carefully started driving. He was very glad that he had lived in this village since he was born and was able to recognise every street and corner in his sleep because otherwise it would have been really hard for him to not lose his sense of orientation in the snow chaos around them. He could barely see further than five meters and the streets were icy. 

"You know what I'm just wondering?" Alec asked after a while. "If he's in trouble then why didn't he call the police himself? Or my mother?"

"Maybe his phone battery is dead" Andrew said.

"Or he has no connection." 

Alec and Andrew looked at each other. Apparently they had just had the very same thought. 

The road which lead to the bed and breakfast was very long and far off from the rest of the village. Using your phone was basically impossible there so maybe that was the reason why his mother's guest had not called for help. 

Alec drove there and after some searching they eventually discovered a blue car standing at the side of the road. 

"Looks like he left the road and bumped into a tree" Andrew said, while looking out of the window.

Alec quickly gave Luke an update about the situation over the police radio before he and Andrew got out of the car. 

They approached the crash site and examined the other car. Unfortunately the owner wasn't in there any longer though.

"Is that dude crazy?" Andrew asked. "Running around here completely alone in the middle of a snowstorm." 

"Maybe he was trying to find help. He probably didn't know that the next houses are so far away." 

Andrew sighed. "Great. So we have to keep looking for him then." 

"Seems so" Alec said and was just about to get back into the car to give Luke another update when he saw something red in the distance. Because of the snow he couldn't make out whether it was a person or not but what else was going to run around here? Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer? 

"Hello?" Alec yelled. "We're the police. We're here to help." 

"Oh thank god" a male voice answered relieved. "I already thought I would die here all alone in the cold." 

The red dot came closer and now Alec saw that it was the jacket of the man they were looking for. He couldn't really see his face though because his scarf was pulled up under his nose and his woolen cap was hiding his forehead. He was shivering and he was clearly cold.

"My car broke down and I didn't have any connection so I wanted to walk to the next house but it seems like here are only trees and snow" he said. 

"Yeah this is really the worst place for having an accident" Andrew said.

"Oh I will try to remember that for next time so I can try to find a better spot then" the stranger said.

Alec could only shake his head about the fact that this guy was still cracking jokes in a situation like that. 

"Maybe you should try to not have another accident at all" he said seriously.

"That's also a good idea of course." 

"Come on and get into the car" Andrew said and put one hand on the man's shoulder while he was leading him to the vehicle. "We're going to give you a ride." 

"Thank you so much" the man in the red jacket said and quickly crawled on the backseat after Alec had opened the door for him.

After that he got into the car as well and told Luke that they had found the missing person. 

"What about my car though?" the man asked concerned. 

"We're going to take care of that as soon as the weather is better" Alec said. "You definitely have priority now." 

"About the accident … you're not hurt, are you?" Andrew asked. 

"I don’t think so. The airbag was preventing the worst." 

"That's good. I still think that somebody should have a look at you. The next hospital is too far away but my mother was a nurse before she opened the bed and breakfast so she should be able to do that" Alec said.

In the rear view mirror he saw how the other man's eyes widened in surprise. "Maryse Lightwood is your mother?" he asked shocked.

"Yes, I'm officer Lightwood" Alec said and frowned in confusion. "Do you know my mother or … wait. Do WE know each other?" 

"Yes of course we know each other! I'm Magnus. Magnus Bane." 

Oh shit. Alec froze and Andrew made a sound of surprise. "Oh my god. You're THE Magnus" he said stunned. "I can't believe this." 

Alec gulped. He couldn't believe this either. Someone had to be kidding him!


	2. Chapter 2

Alec had absolutely no idea what to say. He hadn't seen Magnus for such a long time now and yet his heart immediately started beating faster when he took off his scarf and revealed his face to him. Alec was overwhelmed by a flood of mixed emotions but he tried very hard to not let it show. In all those years he had learned to hide his feelings pretty well and right now he was very thankful for that because he didn't want to seem vulnerable in front of Magnus.

Eventually he cleared his throat and forced a smile on his face, pretending that everything was alright. "Oh wow. That's indeed a surprise" he said. "The big fashion designer himself in our car. I feel honored." 

Magnus laughed and he actually looked a little bit sheepish. "And you really became police officer like you always wanted" he said. Alec didn't know why but he almost sounded impressed. "I'm glad that you didn't let your father force you to take over his law office in the city."

"Me too" Alec said.

"So you two were friends back then, right?" Andrew asked excited. "When you still lived here?" 

Magnus smiled slightly and nodded. "Yes, we were friends" he said and Alec could definitely see a hint of sadness in his eyes. 

Quickly he stopped looking into the rear view mirror and concentrated on the road again. Now was definitely not the right time to get sentimental. The snowstorm still hadn't died down and it was also slowly starting to get dark outside so he needed to focus even more than before. 

Luckily Andrew seemed to realize that Alec wasn't feeling comfortable so he quickly changed the topic and asked Magnus about his holiday plans instead. "My job can be very stressful so I just wanted to relax for some days" Magnus said. "Not doing much, maybe taking a little walk in the snow and drinking a hot chocolate afterwards to warm up again. But at the moment it rather looks like taking walks is not really an option." 

"Yes that's true but the weather is supposed to get better tomorrow." 

For the rest of the drive Andrew and Magnus continued chatting with each other and Alec was very relieved that he wasn’t in the center of attention any longer. 

After some time they finally arrived at the bed and breakfast. The house was rather easy to recognise in the snow because of the colorful christmas decoration Alec’s mother had hung up. 

He and Andrew got out of the car and brought Magnus inside. 

"Oh thank god you found him" Maryse said relieved and immediately came over to them. 

"Yes. Your son and his partner really saved my ass out there" Magnus said with a chuckle. 

Maryse smiled proudly. "Yes, the two of them really are a very good team." She gave Alec a meaningful look and he couldn't help but roll his eyes. 

For some reason his mother was obsessed with the thought that he and Andrew would make a beautiful couple. Alec had already told her a million times that it was never good to get involved with a person from work and that he and Andrew were only friends but she didn't listen to him. 

"Does she still think that we're having a thing?" Andrew whispered quietly while Maryse was greeting Magnus enthusiastically and pulled him into a hug. Apparently he had also noticed the look Alec’s mother had given him.

Alec sighed. "Unfortunately yes. I tried to explain that we're only friends but she doesn't believe me." 

"Well … maybe things are going to change now that Magnus is back …" 

Alec shook his head. "No" he said firmly. "Magnus is in the past. And I fucked up everything between us anyways so he probably doesn't want me anywhere near him." Speaking it out loudly hurt but it was the truth. 

Alec had behaved like an idiot in their past and he was pretty sure that Magnus wasn't going to forgive him. The sad look in his eyes he had seen in the car was speaking more than words. He was still hurt because of what had happened and Alec really couldn't blame him. He had regretted his actions for many years but at some point things had started to get better. 

Alec had started to leave the memory of Magnus behind. He was never going to see him again anyways so what was the point of still worrying about him? That's what he had thought. But now Magnus was here again, standing right in front of him and Alec could feel all the hurt, the guilt and the regret he had left behind coming back. 

This christmas was probably going to get even worse than the previous ones had been and Alec really wasn't looking forward to that.

"I don’t think that this is true" Andrew said suddenly and interrupted Alec's thoughts. "He seemed rather happy about seeing you again." 

"Yes because he was lost and we saved him." 

"Good point" Andrew admitted. "But still I think that there's a chance that he's going to forgive you. I mean I don't exactly know what happened between you but-" 

He interrupted himself and Alec realized that he had stopped talking because his mother was looking at them curiously. 

"We … uh … we were just talking about work" Alec said quickly but even in his own ears he didn't sound very convincing.

"Yeah sure" Maryse said with a smirk. "I was just telling Magnus how nice it is to see him again. Do you remember how you two always played in the snow together when you were children? You were so adorable." 

Alec blushed and looked down at his feet. He really wished his mother wouldn't bring up those memories again cause remembering how happy he had been back then was only making things worse. 

"Oh I definitely remember that" Magnus said and Alec was surprised to see him smile at him when he looked up again. "Alexander always won our snowball fights." 

"But your snowman always looked prettier than mine." Alec smiled back at him and for a moment he had this strange feeling he hadn't felt for years. This feeling only Magnus was able to arouse in him. But then he remembered that it was this exact feeling which had caused all this trouble in the first place so Alec quickly tried to push it down again and looked away.

"Oh by the way - where is your luggage?" Maryse asked Magnus and thereby unknowingly saved the situation from getting awkward again.

"Oh my god - I totally forgot it in my car!" Magnus eyes widened in horror. "All my clothes are still there."

Alec looked out of the window. "No offence but the storm seems to be getting even worse so driving back there now is probably not a very good idea." 

Magnus bit his lip. "You're right. But what am I going to wear then?" 

"Oh that's no problem" Maryse said. "I still have some of Alec’s old clothes here." 

Alec blushed embarrassed. His clothes definitely were not very stylish and he was pretty sure that Magnus wasn't going to like them. But of course he didn't have much of a choice so he nodded thankfully. 

"Come on. I'm going to show you your room and give you the clothes" Maryse said and lead Magnus to the wooden staircase which lead to the first floor. 

"Oh and when you're not too busy can you maybe also check on him for a moment?" Alec asked quickly. "It doesn't look like he's hurt but you never know." 

Maryse nodded. "Of course I will." 

Magnus also stopped walking and turned around to them for a moment. "Again thank you for everything officers" he said. "I really appreciate it." 

"We're just doing our job" Andrew said. "But you're welcome." 

Magnus smiled at him, then he gave Alec one last quick look and followed Maryse upstairs.


	3. Chapter 3

"Wow … I have to say that guy is really sympathetic" Andrew said as soon as Magnus and Maryse had disappeared. "And incredibly good-looking." 

Alec sighed deeply. "Amen to that" he mumbled. Magnus had already been very handsome as a teenager but now - as an adult - he definitely was even more attractive. 

His facial features had changed a bit and he was looking more mature than he had back then. His jawline was sharper and his cheeks a bit more hollow but his brown eyes still were so beautifully calm and deep that Alec could get lost in them within seconds. 

"I can definitely see why you fell in love with him back then" Andrew continued. "And I think I can still see little hearts in your eyes when you are looking at him." He grinned teasingly.  
Alec winced. "What? No" he said fiercely. 

"That's all in the past."

Andrew looked taken aback by the harsh tone of his voice and Alec immediately felt guilty for losing his temper like that. 

"Sorry but this really isn't a topic I want to deal with now" Alec quickly tried to explain his reaction. "Falling in love with him already got my heart broken once and it destroyed our friendship so I really don't want to go there again. Magnus is just not made for me I guess." He sighed and tried his best to ignore the pain in his chest that came when he said those words. It had been so long … and yet he was still hurt. It was ridiculous.

"I'm so sorry" Andrew said. "I didn't know…" 

"It's okay" Alec said and forced a smile on his face. "I'm over it by now. I just hope that he's going to forgive me for just throwing away our friendship like that. It was so dumb and selfish." 

Andrew gave him an encouraging smile and put one of his hands on Alec’s shoulder. "I'm pretty sure that he will. I think you just have to show him that you're sorry and that you really want to have him in your life again, no matter what happened in your past. Christmas is just the right time for showing people that you care about them and to make things right again after all, don’t you think?" 

Andrew was right. But unfortunately Alec had never been really good at things like that - showing people that he cared about them or talking about his feelings both sounded equally unpleasant to him. He was pretty sure that he was just going to fuck things up even more as soon as he opened his mouth but if he didn’t do anything nothing would change between them and he didn't want that either. Alec finally wanted to leave the past behind and for that it was necessary that he apologized and made a new start with Magnus. A new start without any threatening romantic feelings from his side being involved. Otherwise it wouldn't work.

"Yes, you're right" he said eventually. "Maybe there's going to be a little christmas miracle and he really forgives me when I try hard enough to win his friendship back." 

"That's the spirit!" Andrew said proudly and patted Alec’s back just when his mother came back downstairs. 

"Oh good you're still here" she said happily when she saw the two of them. "Do you want a cup of tea or something like that? You look like you're pretty cold."

Alec and Andrew looked at each other. The offer was very tempting of course but actually their shift was not over yet. "Should we drive back to the police station or not?" Alec asked. 

"I think that would be too dangerous at the moment" Maryse said, sounding concerned. "I mean look out of the window - you literally can't see anything out there." 

"I think she's right" Andrew said. "I think we should call Luke and ask what to do."   
Alec nodded in agreement. "Good idea." 

\------------------------

A few minutes later Alec and Andrew were sitting at the kitchen table together and carefully sipped their tea. 

Luke had agreed that it would be better for them to stay in the Bed and Breakfast overnight and bring back the car tomorrow in the morning. Their shift would have ended in one hour anyway so it wasn't a big problem.  
Maryse was very happy that about the turn of events and when she heard that Alec would be on vacation starting tomorrow in the afternoon she insisted that he stayed in the Bed and Breakfast for the next two weeks. "I know how much you hate it when you have nothing to do so you could maybe help me here" she suggested. 

Theoretically Alec thought that this was a great idea but practically it would also mean that he would probably see Magnus every day and he wasn’t sure whether he would be able to deal with that. Andrew immediately remarked that it would be a great opportunity for him to get to talk to the other man and of course he was right about that but still Alec couldn't help but feel nervous about the whole situation.

His mother didn't seem to understand his concerns though: "What do you think is going to happen?" she asked. "That Magnus is going to show up in your room and kill you for something you've done wrong over ten years ago?" 

Alec shrugged. "Who knows?" he mumbled while in reality his problem was a very different one of course. Magnus was way too nice to still be that angry at him but if he saw him that much it would probably bring back old feelings and the last thing Alec wanted was to fall in love with him again. He definitely didn't want another christmas to be ruined completely by heartbreak. He just wanted to have his peace but apparently that would not be possible this year.

"Come on, Alexander. Now you're being childish" Maryse said. "You are both grown man so you should really be able to sort your problems out somehow." 

Alec sighed, giving in. "Yes, you're right of course" he said. "I'll try my best." 

Just when the words had left his mouth Magnus entered the kitchen. He was wearing a red christmas sweater and tight black pants that almost made Alec choke on his tea. Earlier he hadn't been able to see much of the other man's body due to the thick jacket he had been wearing but now there was almost nothing left to the imagination. His legs were muscled perfectly, his waist was slim and his shoulders impressively broad. It was pretty obvious that he generally was in a very good shape and Alec was a bit ashamed of himself for staring at him like that.

Magnus stared at him as well though, obviously surprised that he and Andrew were still here.

"Officers … is there anything else you want from me?" he asked confused.

'Oh yes. Actually there are a lot of things I would want from you very badly' Alec thought and immediately scolded himself internally. He wasn't interested in Magnus - neither sexually nor romantically. No matter how tight his pants were or how beautiful he looked when he was smiling ...

"Oh no, we're just staying here overnight" Andrew explained the situation when Alec didn't find the right words to answer. "Our shift is over soon anyways and it's too dangerous to drive back to the police station at the moment." 

"Oh. I understand" Magnus said and sat down at the table as well. "Could I maybe also get a cup of tea?" 

Maryse nodded. "Of course my dear. And special wishes concerning the flavor?" 

"Just surprise me" Magnus said. "I usually drink everything." 

"But wild berry always was your favorite flavor when you were a teenager" Alec remarked and immediately wished that he would have had more control over his mouth. 

Magnus raised his eyebrows, clearly surprised but luckily it didn’t seem to be in a bad way. "Yes, that's true. I can't believe that you still remember that." 

Embarrassed Alec cleared his throat. "Well … uh … I just have a very good memory" he said but it actually was a big lie. In reality he had the worst memory ever and he hoped that Andrew or his mother wouldn't say anything about it.


	4. Chapter 4

Sitting here and drinking tea together with Magnus felt weird. It made Alec remember how it had been in the very beginning. 

There had been only him and Magnus. They had met each other in preschool and immediately became friends. Since then they had been together almost every day, playing games and later in school doing their homework with each other. During the winter month they had always been outside all day and had drunk hot chocolate after coming back inside again.

Alec had loved spending time with Magnus but then a new student from France came to their school: Camille Belcourt. She was smart and very beautiful so it was no surprise that Magnus fell in love with her on the first sight.   
After that everything changed.

Seeing Magnus and Camille together made Alec sick - not only because he was jealous but also because Camille was a real bitch. She always acted nice in front of others - and especially in front of Magnus of course - but when Alec met her alone once after school he had seen her real face and that wasn't beautiful at all. She threatened him to not come between her and Magnus and made very clear that for Magnus she was more important now than his 'stupid' friendship with him. 

Of course Alec didn't believe her but over the weeks Magnus spend more and more time with her and even though he still always tried to include him somehow he soon felt like he was the fifth wheel. Alec felt like Magnus only invited him to his dates with Camille because he felt an obligation to do so and he didn't want that. Also seeing them kissing each other right in front of him all the time made his stomach turn and his heart break even more. 

At some point Alec just couldn't take it any longer so he stopped talking to Magnus and declined all of his invitations. Today he knew of course that his behavior had been childish and stupid. 

He just should have told the other boy about his problems and try to save their friendship but back then Alec had been convinced that getting Magnus back as his friend was a fight he could never win. Also he had been afraid to destroy his relationship with Camille and make him sad so he just cut him out of his life without ever giving him a proper explanation for it. He had been a complete asshole and before he could make things right again Magnus had left, moving to London to his father where Alec had no chance to contact him any longer. 

After that Alec hadn't seen Magnus again for many years until he eventually found out that he had become a fashion designer. Actually it had been his sister Isabelle who had discovered an article about him in one of her magazines and told Alec about it. Soon Magnus appeared in magazines more often and became famous. Camille was with him on most of the pictures so Alec guessed that they were still together. They didn't seem to be married though cause Magnus wasn't wearing a ring … 

"Hey Alec are you still with us?" Andrew asked and Alec blinked, slowly realizing that he probably had been lost in thought for quite a long time.

"Yes, I'm still here" he said and laughed awkwardly. "I was just thinking about something. Just daydreaming, you know?" 

"I remember that you always did that" Magnus said with a smile on his face. "Even all those years ago you were already dreaming with your eyes open all the time." He chuckled. "It was quite cute actually." 

"I highly doubt that to be honest. I probably looked like an idiot." 

"Oh I don’t think so."

"I'm so glad that you decided to spend your vacation here, Magnus" Maryse said. "Seeing you and Alec talking to each other again makes me really happy." 

Alec bit his lip and looked down at his hands. He had never told his mother what exactly had happened. She didn’t know that Alec had ruined their friendship because he had fallen in love with his best friend. 

"I'm glad about it too" Magnus said and Alec looked up in surprise. "I mean the accident wasn't that great of course but I'm glad to see Alexander again." 

Magnus looked at him and Alec didn't know what to think anymore. He was completely confused. Why was Magnus being so nice to him? Why wasn't he mad? At least a bit? He had no idea what was going on. 

"I … uh … I'm also glad to see you again" Alec admitted and Magnus smiled in response. 

Then he drank the rest of his tea and got up. "I think I will go to my room already. It was a long day for me and I think I should rest now." 

"Yes, that's probably a good idea" Andrew agreed with him. "After the accident it's the best that you relax a bit." 

"That's exactly what I thought." Magnus walked to the door but before he left he turned around again one last time: "I guess we're going to see each other more often in the next few days then" he said, looking at Alec. "Since you're going to stay here as well …" 

Alec cleared his throat. "Yes that's right. And I'm really looking forward to it." 

Magnus smiled softly. "Me too, Alexander." 

\------------------------------

"Come on, Alec. You have to admit that it didn't seem like he doesn't want anything to do with you. I think you have really good chances to make this right again" Andrew said a few hours later.

After helping Maryse in the kitchen the both had decided to go their room as well. Since it was christmas almost all the rooms were booked already so Alec and Andrew had to share the one spare room his mother could offer. Of course Alec had absolutely nothing against sharing a room with Andrew - he was his best friend and partner after all - but he hoped that his mother wasn't just doing this in order to get them together. 

Inside the room there was only one bed but Alec had already declared that he would be sleeping on the armchair then. Andrew had been protesting at first, wanting him to take the bed but in the end Alec had won their little discussion. 

"Maybe you're right." Alec sighed. "But what if something goes wrong? I don’t want to fall in love with him again just to find out that he's going to marry Camille or something like that." 

Andrew frowned. "Are you sure the two of them are still a couple?" 

"Pretty sure. She's almost always with him on pictures." 

"But that doesn't necessarily have to mean something, right? I mean wouldn't he have brought her on his vacation as well then?" 

"Good point" Alec admitted. "But even if she's not his girlfriend anymore and he's really single I don’t think that I should … you know." 

"Why not? I have seen the way you two look at each other and I think you would make a great couple." 

Alec smiled sadly. "Thank you for saying this but I'm sure that Magnus only sees me as a friend. We're just not meant to be together in that way." 

"Okay. If you say so. But no matter what is going to happen in the end - you know that I'm always going to be there for you, right?" 

Andrew put his hand on his shoulder and Alec smiled at him. 

"Thank you. You really are incredible." 

Andrew grinned. "I wouldn't say incredible but I'm pretty close to it I guess." 

They both laughed and a few minutes later they went to sleep. 

Alec took a blanket and cuddled up on the armchair but he just couldn't sleep. While Andrew was soon snoring already he was still awake, his mind filled with pictures and memories. Magnus being back was quite a lot to handle for him and his brain just didn't want to let him rest. 

On the one hand Alec was happy about seeing Magnus again but on the other hand he also was pretty nervous. He didn't know how to act around him and he was afraid to say something wrong and fuck things up again. Losing him once had broken his heart but losing him twice would destroy him.  
Alec just wanted to be his friend again. But if this was supposed to work he definitely had to apologize first. They had to talk about what had happened between them and Alec really wasn't looking forward to that …


	5. Chapter 5

When Alec woke up in the next morning the first thing he did was to look out of the window. Outside everything was covered in a thick blanket of white snow but the storm really had stopped overnight. There was no fresh snow falling down from the sky any longer and everything looked almost peacefully quiet. 

"Hey Drew" Alec said over his shoulder. "It's not snowing anymore so as soon as the road has been cleared a bit when can bring the car back to the department."

Andrew groaned in response. He was still lying in bed and hid his head under his pillow, clearly not willing to stand up yet. "Great" he mumbled in a sleepy voice. "Just give me a few more minutes." 

Alec chuckled. "I'm going to take a shower in the meantime then but when I come back you really have to stand up." 

"Mmmph" Andrew mumbled and a few seconds later he was already snoring again. Alec shook his head and grinned, then he walked into the bathroom. 

Once he was there he took off his clothes and stepped into the shower. The hot water felt amazing on his skin, especially because it was rather cold outside in the bathroom. Also his muscles were a little bit sore from sleeping in the armchair so the pressure of the water was very relaxing as well. If he was being honest Alec would have loved to just stay in the shower forever but unfortunately life was waiting for him outside. And he guessed that without him waking him up again Andrew would probably sleep till noon.

Reluctantly Alec got out of the shower and looked into the mirror after he had put on his police uniform again.

For a moment he looked into his concerningly pale face and wondered how much he had changed since he had seen Magnus for the last time. Sure, he looked more mature as well and he had gained quite some height and muscles but apart from that he probably hadn't changed very much in the last few years. His voice was a lot deeper though he guessed. Luckily he was finally over his puberty vocal change so he didn't sound like a complete idiot any longer. 

Magnus's voice however had always sounded beautiful somehow. Or maybe he just thought that because he had been in love with him back then. 

Alec sighed and tried to tame his hair a bit but as usually it didn't work. Eventually he gave up and walked back into the bedroom where Andrew was still sleeping. 

"Hey, come on - you have to get up now" Alec said and tried to wake his partner up but shaking him slightly but Andrew just groaned in annoyance and turned his back to Alec. "But the bed is so cozy and warm" he complained.

"I know" Alec said. "But I've heard that my mother made french toast for breakfast."  
Actually that was a lie but it caused exactly the effect Alec had aimed for: from one second to the other Andrew seemed to be wide awake and lifted his head. 

"Really?" he asked hopefully and without waiting for an answer he jumped up and walked into the bathroom in order to get ready. 

In that moment he reminded Alec a lot of his brother Jace who was currently on vacation together with his wife Clary and their daughter Rose. They would be back for christmas though so that they could all celebrate together. Alec's sister Isabelle and her fiancé Simon would also be there. It didn't happen very often that they could all meet like that because of their jobs and busy lives so Alec was also kinda looking forward to christmas in some way. He just hoped that he wouldn't start thinking about Jamie again but now that Magnus was here as well his thoughts would probably rather evolve around him. The only question was whether that would be a good thing or a bad one …

\---------------------------

"I still can't believe that you really betrayed me like that" Andrew said when they were sitting in the police car together about two hours later.   
Alec couldn't resist the urge to roll his eyes. 

"Seriously? Just because I lied to you about the breakfast?" 

"Yes! Food is a topic you don't joke about! I was really looking forward to the French toast already." He pouted. 

Alec shook his head and stopped the car in front of the police office. On their way they had taken a closer look at Magnus's car again and had arranged for it to be brought into the nearest car repair shop. Also they had taken the suitcases with them. When Alec came back into the bed and breakfast in the afternoon he would give them to Magnus personally. But now he first had to finish his report and talk to Luke about the situation.

After that was done he drove home. If he really was going to stay in the Bed and Breakfast for the next two weeks he definitely needed some clothes and other stuff. 

In his flat Alec went straight into his bedroom and packed some clothes and books into a suitcase. While he was in the process of doing so he found a bunch of articles on top of his bookshelf and blushed when he looked at them. It were all the articles he had found about Magnus in various magazines. He didn't really know why he had kept them until now. 

For a short moment he thought about throwing them away but in the end he just couldn't bring himself to do it for some reason.

With a sigh he put the articles into his suitcase as well and closed it. 

In the early afternoon he was back at the Bed and Breakfast and asked his mother for Magnus's room number so he could give him his luggage. For some reason he felt slightly nervous once he was standing in front of the door but then he told himself not to be such a coward and knocked. 

"Just a second" Magnus's voice came through the door. "I just have to put on some pants."   
Alec felt his face heaten at those words. "Oh you don't have to bother about that" he mumbled. 

A few seconds later the door was opened and Magnus was standing in front of him, wearing only pants and a towel wrapped around his neck. "Oh, Alexander. It's you" he said, sounding pleasantly surprised. He was shirtless and his hair was still wet so Alec guessed that he had just been in the shower. He tried his best not to stare but it was very hard. Magnus really did have a great body …   
Alec cleared his throat and tried to blend out the other man's muscled stomach and his delicate waist. 

"Yeah … uh … I just wanted to bring you your suitcases" he said quickly. 

"Oh, thank you. That's great. Even though I have to admit that I kinda liked wearing your clothes tonight. They're very comfortable. Not very colorful but cozy." 

Magnus smiled at him and Alec was pretty sure that he was blushing like he still was a nervous teenager with a terrible crush on him. But imagining Magnus wearing his clothes in bed was more than exciting. 

Alec didn't know what to say. Awkwardly he handed Magnus the suitcases and hoped that he didn't look as idiotic as he felt. 

"Is everything alright?" Magnus asked eventually and he sounded a bit upset. "You're so quiet. If you don't want to talk to me just say it and I'll leave you alone."

"What? No!" Alec almost had a heart attack. "I'm sorry but I was just … I mean of course I want to talk to you." 

"You do?" Magnus asked insecurely. "I mean after what happened when we were teenagers … it has been a long time since then though and I just thought things would be different now"

"No, no, no, that's not …" Alec gulped. He had expected that Magnus would bring this up but he hadn't thought that it would be so soon. If he didn't say something now he probably lost his last chance of saving their friendship so he took a deep breath and tried to explain the situation. "I want to talk to you, Magnus, please believe me. What I did back then was childish of me and stupid and I never wanted to lose you as my friend." 

At the end of the sentence his voice broke and Alec felt embarrassed for not having his emotions under control but Magnus seemed to believe him. At least now he was looking rather confused than angry or sad. 

"But why?" he asked with a frown. "Why all this?" 

"That's a rather long story actually so maybe we could meet and take a walk together when you have time" Alec suggested carefully. 

For a moment Magnus looked sceptical but then he nodded. "Okay, then" he said. "What about later today - maybe in two hours?" 

Alec nodded quickly, feeling relieved and nervous at the same time. 

"Sure" he said. "Sounds great. So I'll see you then. Oh and Magnus … you should really put on a pullover or you're going to catch a cold."

Magnus lowered his head and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw that he was still half naked. Apparently he hadn't even been aware of it. 

"Oh. Good point" he said. "I should really do that." 

"So … uh … I'm going to go then."

"Right." 

They looked at each other and before the situation could become even more awkward Alec quickly turned around and left. 

He heard how Magnus was closing the door behind him a few seconds later and only then he really got aware of what situation he was in. He had to tell Magnus why he had been behaving so weirdly back then and he had to do it in a few hours already. 

He highly doubted that this was going to go well but maybe he was wrong. Maybe he would really get his christmas miracle.


	6. Chapter 6

Almost exactly two hours later there was a knock on Alec's door. Nervously he checked his looks in the mirror one last time before he eventually walked over and opened the door. 

"Hi" he said and gave Magnus a shy smile. The other man was wearing a black coat with glittery stones and a blue scarf now, looking even more amazing than before. Alec swallowed and suddenly felt weirdly underdressed in his rather old jacket. But unfortunately he didn't have any fancy clothes and even if he had it would probably look ridiculous on him.

"Hi" Magnus greeted back and looked at him. "Are you ready?" 

No. He wasn't ready at all. But still Alec nodded. "Of course" he said. 

"Good. Then let's go outside a bit. It's slowly getting hot inside in that jacket."

"I can imagine." 

The two men smiled at each other and left the house together. Outside it was cold and the snow on the footpath was so deep that walking was a little bit difficult. 

"So … there was something you wanted to tell me, right?" Magnus asked eventually, after the two of them had just walked next to each other in silence for a few minutes. 

Alec took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes that's true." 

Magnus looked at him, apparently waiting for him to continue but Alec really didn't know where to start. 

"Camille Belcourt" he eventually blurted out and Magnus frowned in confusion. 

"What about her?" 

"After she came to our school back then … I … I think I was jealous" Alec confessed quietly. 

First Magnus didn't seem to understand but then his eyes widened in surprise. "Oh" he said. "You mean you were also in love with her? I'm so sorry I really didn't know about that but actually …" 

"No, that's not what I meant" Alec interrupted the other man. "I wasn't jealous of you. I was jealous of her." 

Abruptly Magnus stopped walking. "How do you mean that?" The strangely intense way he was looking at him now made Alec extremely nervous so he chickened out.

"I was jealous because you spend so much time with her and I felt like she's more important to you than our friendship" he said quickly. "But I knew how much you liked her so I didn't say anything." 

At least that was a part of the truth, Alec thought. And the other thing really wasn't that important anyways, right? His little crush surely wasn't worth mentioning. 

"So you just turned your back on me?" Magnus asked, his expression hardening again. "Why didn't you talk to me?"

Alec sighed. "I don't know. Because I was stupid I guess. And a coward. I just wanted you to be happy." 

"And you really thought that I would be happy about losing my best friend?" Magnus sounded offended and Alec hated himself even more for what he had done. He just wished that he would have opened his mouth earlier.

"I thought that you would be happy with her. I know that I acted stupid but I'm begging you to forgive me cause I missed you and I really want to be your friend again" Alec said desperately. 

Magnus looked at him and his facial expression slowly softened again. "Of course I forgive you. I think this whole thing just went very badly in general. It's not just your fault." 

Alec's eyes widened in surprise. He definitely hadn't expected that turn. 

"What do you mean?" he asked confused.

Magnus sighed. "I mean that you were right. I really did spend too much time with Camille and I neglected anything else. I was so in love with her that it made me completely blind I guess. I understand why you felt left out but please believe me that I never wanted to lose you." 

Magnus looked at him with pleading eyes and Alec felt his heart melting.

"I believe you" he said hoarsely. "I guess we both were idiots then." 

Magnus grinned. "That's true." 

They looked at each other and started laughing. 

It was an amazing feeling to laugh together with Magnus again. Alec couldn't believe that it really had been that easy. Magnus had forgiven him and they were friends again. Suddenly he was getting much more into the christmas spirit.

"I'm really glad that we finally had a chance to talk about this" Alec said. "What a luckily coincidence that we met again." 

"Actually it wasn't really a coincidence" Magnus said, almost sounding a little bit coy. "I wanted to see you again."

Alec couldn't believe his ears. "That's why you came here?" he asked incredulously. 

Magnus shrugged. "I generally missed how peaceful and quiet it is here. In New York everything is so stressed and busy all the time. But the main reason why I wanted to come here was because I was hoping to meet you again. When I found your mother's Bed and Breakfast in the internet I was surprised to see that she's still living in the village and I thought maybe you would as well. Or that you would at least come back to your mother for christmas."

Alec stared at Magnus after he had finished his little speech, his mouth hanging open. He probably looked like a complete idiot but at the moment he didn't really care.

"Wow … that's … I don't know what to say." 

Magnus chuckled and put his hand on Alec's shoulder. "You don't have to say anything. But do you know what I was just thinking…"

"No, what?" Alec asked unsuspectingly.  
Magnus grinned widely. "I think with all this snow here it would be a great opportunity to test if you can still beat me." 

Alec frowned. Beat him at what? But before he had the chance to ask Magnus had already grabbed a handful of white snow and rubbed it into the other man's face. 

Alec spluttered and wiped the snow away again. His face was burning because of the cold and he heard that Magnus was giggling.

"Seems like your reflexes aren't as good as they used to be twenty years ago, huh?" he asked, clearly challenging him.

"Oh don't worry - I'm pretty sure that I can still kick your ass" Alec said with a confident smirk on his face. 

He and Magnus looked at each other and then they both started running, hiding behind a two trees which were standing a few meters away from each other.

"So I guess you accept the challenge then?" Magnus asked. 

"You can bet your life on it" Alec replied, suddenly feeling so excited like he was twelve years old again.

The snowball fight which followed went on for almost twenty minutes until Alec started to feel a bit exhausted but he didn't want to show any signs of weakness in front of Magnus. He really wanted to win this so he was very glad to see that the other man also seemed to be slightly breathless already.

"Seems like your stamina also isn't as good as it used to be back then, huh?" Alec couldn't resist teasing the other man. 

Magnus raised his eyebrows. "Me? You're the one panting here after all."

"I'm not!" Alec protested. 

"Yes you are."

"But still I'm winning." 

"Really? I think I'm winning here." Magnus grinned at him and it looked like he was about to say something else as well but then suddenly he was sneezing loudly.

Immediately Alec started to worry. "Are you alright?" 

Magnus nodded but then he sneezed again.

"Maybe it would be better if we went back now" Alec suggested. "I don't want you to catch a cold on your first day of holiday." 

"I bet you're just afraid to lose against me" Magnus said but eventually he agreed with  
Alec and they walked back to the Bed and Breakfast again. 

"Oh my god what happened to you two?" Maryse asked shocked when they entered the house. "Your clothes are completely wet." 

"Uh … we just had a little competition" Alec explained with red cheeks. 

"You mean you had snowball fight? Like when you were kids?" Maryse shook her head but then she smiled. "So I guess you two have talked about your issues?" 

"Yes we have" Magnus said. "And we came to the conclusion that we both were idiots back then." 

Maryse laughed. "Well we all do some idiotic things when we're young, don't we?" 

Alec wanted to reply something but right then Magnus was sneezing again. 

"Oh damn it" he cursed quietly. "I think I should probably get out of those wet clothes as soon as possible or I'm really going to be sick on christmas." 

Alec blushed slightly, thinking about Magnus taking his clothes off but luckily he had those kind of thoughts more under control now that he was an adult and was able to push them aside relatively quickly. As a teenager that probably wouldn't have been just as easy.

"Yes that's probably a good idea" Maryse said. "And the same goes for you Alexander." 

Alec resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He wasn't a child anymore after all. He knew how to take care of himself. 

"Yes, mother" he said nevertheless and followed Magnus upstairs.


	7. Chapter 7

"Do you know what I would be in the mood for now?" Magnus asked once they had arrived upstairs.

"No, what?" Alec still couldn't believe that this was really happening. That he really had his best friend back again after so many years. It felt like it was too good to be true.

"Christmas cookies. I haven't had any yet this year."

Alec's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? I'm pretty sure my mother has some." 

"Oh that's great. Let's meet each other again here on the hallway in a few minutes. Then we can go downstairs together" Magnus suggested.

Alec smiled widely, happy that apparently Magnus wanted to spend some more time with him. "Okay" he said. "See you in a few." 

POV MAGNUS   
Magnus closed the door behind him and smiled. He couldn't believe that he and Alexander really were friends again. So it had been a good decision to come here after all. 

'Well … but apparently he has a boyfriend already' Magnus thought and sighed. He couldn't say that he was very surprised about it though. Alec was very good-looking after all and one of the nicest people Magnus had ever met. He might seem grumpy at first but he just didn't trust people easily. Magnus knew that. But once somebody had earned Alec's trust he would do everything for them. 

Andrew really was a very lucky guy. And he seemed to be incredibly nice as well so Magnus should be happy for Alec. But somehow he wasn't … not really. 

He still wanted him. He was still yearning for his touch. But he knew that it was impossible. 

"Gosh why was I so blind all those years?" Magnus mumbled to himself. Camille had been so fascinating and beautiful that he had thought she was the one he was yearning for but after Alec had stopped talking to him Magnus realized that he had been wrong. Losing Alec had broken his heart. It had shown him what he really wanted. But before he had a chance to act upon his feelings his father had gotten a job offer in London and they moved away … 

Magnus always wondered what would have happened if he had realized earlier. If he had had the chance to tell Alec about his feelings. Would it have worked out? Probably not.

Magnus sneezed and realized that he was still wearing his wet clothes. He tried to push his thoughts aside and looked what to put on instead. Eventually he decided for a colorful purple sweater with some glitter on it and black pants. Clothes and fashion had always been his passion so he was very proud to be a known designer by now. He had really made it. He had his dream job … but not his dream partner. 

Magnus always said that he loved being single and just occasionally having sex with some pretty women or men but in reality he felt lonely. And for some reason his stupid heart was pulling him towards one person only and that person was already taken. 

And about Camille … Magnus was more than happy that he wasn't under her spell any longer. It had taken him some time but he had realized that she wasn't nearly as perfect as he had thought in the beginning. She had never really cared about his feelings. And she had hurt him many times.

Magnus was glad that this thing between them was over but unfortunately Camille didn't seem to think the same way. For some reason she had developed a weird obsession with Magnus and just wouldn't leave him alone. She wanted to have him back but not because she was in love with him. Magnus wouldn't fall for that a second time. She just wanted to have a part of his fame. She wanted him as a trophy and Magnus definitely wasn't there for that. It was   
almost impossible to hide from her though so he hadn't told anybody about this vacation. He had just left, hoping that Camille wouldn't find out where he was and follow him. 

But now wasn't the time to think about her. Magnus just wanted to enjoy being with Alec again.

When he finally stepped out on the hallway Alexander was already waiting for him, leaning against the wall in a pose that was more sexy than he was probably aware of. 

Magnus cleared his throat. "Hi again." 

"Hi." Alec smiled at him in a way that made Magnus feel very warm inside.

"Sorry that it took me so long to get ready" he apologized. 

"There's no need to apologize. You always needed long to get ready. Even when we were children." 

Magnus laughed. "That's probably true. I think it took me even longer back then because I was still learning how to use Make-up or how to apply eyeliner. It was horrible." 

"But the results did look quite good" Alec said.

"Thank you." Magnus smiled at him and for a moment they were just standing there like that but then a funny noise from Alec's stomach interrupted the silence between them. 

Apparently Magnus wasn't the only one who was quite hungry by now. "I think that was our signal to go downstairs and get some food" he said amused and Alec nodded in agreement, seeming slightly embarrassed. 

Together they walked into the living-dining room where Maryse had put a tin with cookies for the guests. 

"Oh my god - I totally forgot how brilliant your mother's christmas cookies are" Magnus moaned after he had taken a bite and licked his lips. 

Alec chuckled. "Yes they're amazing. I also tried to bake them once but I failed miserably."

"Awww now you're exaggerating" a voice said behind them, making Alec and Magnus turn around simultaneously. Apparently Maryse had entered the room without them realizing it. "Your cookies were quite good actually."

Alec didn't look convinced by that. "I don't think so."

"Actually I wanted to ask you for a favor" Maryse continued. "The snow storm yesterday damaged some of the decorations outside. Could you maybe take care of that? I still have a lot to in here so ..." 

Alec nodded. "Sure" he said, interrupting his mother in mid-sentence. "Of course I will help you."

Maryse looked relieved and smiled. "Thank you so much, honey. Everything you need is in the basement. But please be careful. It's icy outside."

Alec rolled his eyes, but he was smiling slightly as well. "Don't worry, mother. You know that I'm always careful." 

"I'm going to help you" Magnus said to Alec, then he looked over to Maryse. "And I will look out for him. Would be a shame if he got hurt, especially so short before christmas."

Alec looked flattered but also slightly embarrassed. "You really don't have to do that" he mumbled, his cheeks turning into a very adorable shade of red. Magnus loved that he was still blushing as easily as he had in his teens. It was beautiful. 

"But I insist" Magnus said with determination. 

"Well I guess I can't argue then" Alec said with a chuckle, giving in.

"That's true." 

After that they walked outside, checking what had been damaged and what tools they would need in order to fix it. 

"Looks like this chain of lights isn't working any more" Alec observed, his head tilted back.

"And I think this dude fell down from the roof" Magnus said and picked up a Plastic Santa that had been stuck in a bush next to the front door. It wasn't damaged so they could probably just put him up again.

"Right. So we're definitely going to need a ladder. And we're going to take the broken light chain down and replace it." 

Magnus nodded. "Sounds like a good plan." 

Together he and Alec got a new light chain, a ladder and some other tools from the basement and brought it outside. Alec leaned the ladder against the wall of the house and grabbed the Plastic Santa. 

Magnus couldn't help but be worried so he put one hand on Alec's shoulder before he started climbing up and told him to be careful. 

"Don't worry. I'm pretty athletic so I surely won't fall down" Alec said confidently and winked at him. Fucking winked! Magnus's jaw dropped. If he hadn't known better he would have thought that the other man was trying to flirt with him. But that wasn't possible … or was it? But he had a boyfriend … or didn't he? Actually Magnus had no confirmation that Alexander really was in a relationship with his partner from the police. He had only thought so because his mother had implied it … but maybe he was single after all. Gosh, that would really be the best christmas present, Magnus thought. 

He put his head back in order to see how Alec was doing and blushed when he got rewarded with a perfect view on the other man's butt. He really was quite athletic … 

Magnus's mind was about to go to some rather inappropriate places but he stopped himself with a shake of his head. Now was definitely not the right time for this. He needed to pay attention that Alec was safe and that the ladder wasn't going to fall.

"Hah - see. I told you that it wouldn't be a problem" Alec said triumphantly once he had arrived at the top and was standing on the roof. 

"Showoff" Magnus yelled back, making Alec laugh. He put Santa back on his place and then started climbing down the ladder again.  
On one of the last rungs he slipped a bit but Magnus was able to catch him before he fell on his butt. 

"I thought you wouldn't fall down" Magnus said with a chuckle, his arms still wrapped around the other man's body and their faces so close that he could almost feel Alexander's sweet breath on his lips.

"I didn't fall" Alec protested weakly and Magnus could have sworn that he was looking at his lips for a moment but it was also possible that he had just imagined it.

"And why are you lying in my arms then?"   
Alec opened his mouth and closed it again without saying a word, nervously licking his lips. He looked absolutely adorable and Magnus wanted to kiss him so badly. But he still wasn't sure whether Alec had a boyfriend or not so he decided that it was better to pull back again, no matter how hard it was for him.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly.

Alec cleared his throat and nodded. "Yeah. Uh … thank you." 

"No need to thank me." Magnus smiled at him. 

"Maybe we should handle the light chain together then."

Alec smiled back at him, his face slowly returning its usual color again. "Yes that's probably a good idea" he said.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys :) I know it's been a while since I posted a chapter from this story for the last time. I have already posted this chapter before but I wasn't really happy with it so I just edited it and made some rather big changes. So it would be good if you read the chapter again and if you're confused about something feel free to ask me. Also the next chapter will follow very soon

Alec could still feel the heat on his face when he and Magnus were replacing the damaged light chain together. He just couldn't stop thinking about the way Magnus had been holding him a few minutes ago, his body so close to his, his strong hands on his waist and his beautiful eyes looking down into Alec's face so intensely that it almost made him shiver. 

Maybe he was already starting to lose his mind now but he could have sworn that the other man had been thinking about kissing him. At least this was what Alec had done. Gosh he wanted to kiss Magnus so badly but he didn't dare to. He had just gained him back as his friend and if he misinterpreted this and did something that made him feel uncomfortable he would definitely ruin everything again. 

'Well maybe you should just open your fucking mouth and talk to him then' a voice inside Alec's head said. 'If you don't do it you will probably miss the most incredible thing that ever could have happened to you.'

"Alexander? I don't want to interrupt your thoughts but I could really use some help here" he heard Magnus say and blinked in confusion. Shit, he had been completely lost in his head again.

"Oh shit. I'm sorry" Alec apologized quickly and helped the other man with putting up the new light chain around the window next to the front door. "I really shouldn't dream like that all the time."

"At least now you can't fall off a ladder when you're distracted" Magnus said with a little chuckle and their hands brushed slightly. Even though the touch only lasted for a second Alec could feel a faint tingle spreading in his entire body, which made him swallow nervously. 

Why was he still so attracted to him? He had really thought that he would be able to not fall for him again … 

Apparently he had been wrong. 

Alec cleared his throat. "You're not going to just let me pretend that this embarrassing little accident didn't happen?" he asked.

"Oh no. Definitely not." Magnus grinned at him. "Teasing you about it is far more fun. Also you still didn't thank me for saving your butt. I think I definitely deserve a reward for my heroic deeds." 

He was now smirking at him and Alec couldn't fight the feeling that he was flirting with him. But that couldn't be possible, right? Magnus was just fooling around. 

Whatever it was - Alec didn't have the chance to find out because before he was able to say something in return he suddenly heard somebody yelling his name behind his back: "Oh my god, Alec! I didn't know you were here at mom's!"

Alec turned around and smiled happily when he saw his sister and her dorky fiancé approaching them. It had been quite a while since he had seen Izzy for the last time because she was working almost 24/7 at the hospital in the next bigger city but apparently she had a day off today. 

"Izzy! What a great surprise" he said and immediately pulled her into a hug, kissing her on both cheeks while Simon was looking offended and pouted.

"I'm here too, you know?" he complained. 

"Oh right, I'm sorry" Alec apologized with a roll of his eyes, then he grabbed Simon's face and kissed him on his cheeks as well. "Are you happy now?" 

Simon seemed to be speechless and blushed deeply while Izzy made big eyes at Alec before she eventually started laughing. "Who are you and what have you done to my grumpy brother? I thought you'd be in the worst mood because it's christm- Oh my god!" 

Only now Izzy seemed to realize that they weren't alone on the front porch and she dramatically grasped her brother's arm, her long, red pointed nails digging through his jacket. Alec was pretty sure that he was going to have a bruise from that later.

"This is you Magnus, isn't it? You're THE Magnus Bane!! As in the former best friend of my brother and the best fashion designer on earth?" Izzy asked with shining eyes and she sounded so excited that it was almost a bit amusing. "Oh my fucking god I can't believe that you're really here!" 

Magnus looked slightly overwhelmed but also flattered. "I'm probably not the best fashion designer on earth but I'm very close to it" he chuckled. "And I'm here because I thought that this is the perfect place to have some peace from the city life and all the stress. Also I was becoming a bit homesick after all those years."

"Oh I can definitely understand that" Izzy said and one second later she and Magnus were already talking like they were best friends for life. 

Alec shook his head and smiled. This was very typical for his sister. She hadn't even known Magnus that well before he had left but it was always very easy for her to meet new people and make friends.

"See that? As soon as she meets somebody famous she immediately forgets about my existence" Alec said to Simon.

"Oh you mean like in the last Harry Potter movie when Ginny ignored Ron and immediately hugged Harry instead when they were coming back to Hogwarts to find the last Horcruxes?" Simon asked. 

Alec rolled his eyes. "Why is almost everything you say a movie reference?" 

Simon shrugged and grinned. "I'm still known as a Nerd and I have to uphold my reputation."

"That's true." Alec remembered that Simon had also been making various movie references in his best man speech at Jace and Clary's wedding. Also he was pretty sure that he had proposed to Izzy by quoting Star Wars or something like that … "You're really one of a kind." 

\--------------------

About ten minutes later Izzy seemed to remember again why she was here and went inside in order to say Hello to their mother. Magnus and Alec were done with their work by now so they followed her and Simon into the kitchen. 

Maryse was more than happy to see Izzy and Simon again and immediately offered them cookies and tea. 

They were sitting on the kitchen table together and talked until Magnus' phone suddenly started ringing. 

He quickly mumbled an apology and left the room in order to take the call and Alec couldn't help but look after him until he was out of sight. 

"He does have a cute butt, doesn't he?" Izzy whispered next to him and giggled quietly. Simon was busy talking to Maryse in the meanwhile so he didn't notice what was going on. 

Alec blushed slightly, feeling caught. He hated that his sister always noticed immediately when he was checking a guy out. 

"I don't know. I haven't been looking" he replied but even he realized how fake he sounded. 

"Yeah, sure" Izzy said with a smirk on her face. "I think now I understand why you're so happy. You two reconciled I guess?"

Alec sighed, giving in. "Yes, we did. We agreed that we have both been acting like idiots and we're friends again." 

"Just friends?" Izzy looked disappointed. "Why that?" 

"Because he's not in love with me. And I don't want to fall for him again because that's just going to cause a lot of problems and I don't want to spend another christmas heartbroken." 

"Oh, honey" Izzy said compassionately. "But maybe you're wrong? Maybe Magnus does have feelings for you as well." 

"Please don't" Alec said weakly. "You're just going to get my hopes up." 

"But don't you think you should at least-"

"No" Alec interrupted her. "We're just friends. That's how it is and I don't want to change that." 

Izzy looked like she was about to protest but then Magnus came back into the room and she closed her mouth again. 

"So, do you guys have any plans for today?" Maryse asked. 

"Actually I still have to buy some christmas presents so Simon and I wanted to drive into the next shopping center" Izzy said. Then she seemed to have an idea and started to grin widely. "Don't you and Magnus want to come along Alec?" she asked. 

"Oh I would love to" Magnus said immediately and looked over to Alec. "What about you?" 

"I don't know" Alec mumbled. "I already have all my christmas presents." Also he hated shopping and judging by his sister's grin he was pretty sure that Izzy was planning on trying to get him and Magnus together or something like that and that could only end in disaster.

"Awww come on. You can come along nevertheless and help me" Izzy tried to convince him.

Alec crossed his arms in front of his chest. Every instinct he had clearly told him to say no but when he looked into Magnus' pleading puppy eyes he knew that he was screwed.

"Alright" he said and his sister and Magnus both beamed happily.

"Perfect" Izzy said and clapped her hands. "Then let's go."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ!!  
> Hi guys :) Sorry for not updating this story for such a long time but I wasn't really happy with how the previous chapter turned out and it took me some time to figure out how to continue. In the end I rewrote the chapter before this one so before you are reading this you should read the previous chapter again to know what is going on. I hope the changes won't be too confusing ... if you have any questions please feel free to ask me

It was early evening and slowly starting to get dark outside when Simon parked his Van in front of the shopping center about half an hour later. 

Alec was more than glad to finally get out of the car because his sister's financé had been singing christmas songs the whole time while he was driving and it had been pretty annoying. Simon's voice was actually quite good (Alec would rather die than admit this loudly though) but hearing the same christmas songs over and over again was just very exhausting. Even without Simon singing along with them.

"So, you have already bought a christmas present for me?" Izzy asked Alec while they were walking inside the building. As soon as they had walked through the door they were greeted by a very noisy crowd of people and Alec immediately felt uncomfortable, but he tried not to let it show. Going shopping a few days before christmas was like the worst idea ever but Magnus had always loved shopping so Alec was going to endure this. 

"Yes, of course I have" he answered Izzy's question and tried not to bump into anybody while they were making their way through the crowd. "I already bought it three month ago." 

"Seriously?" Simon asked. "All the other presents as well?" 

Alec nodded. He hated doing things in the nick of time so he always got things done as soon as possible. That was a characteristic that had always distinguished him from his siblings.

"Can you give me a hint what my present is? Pretty please" Izzy begged but Alec shook his   
head again. He wouldn't say anything.

"You're such a buzzkill." Izzy pouted but then they arrived in front of her favorite clothes shop and her eyes started to sparkle. "Uuuuh guys, let's go in there." 

Alec hated clothes stores - especially because visiting them together with his sister could take up to several hours. But he didn't protest and followed her and the others inside. 

As soon as they had entered Izzy grabbed Magnus' hand and made him come with her. Apparently she had spotted a dress that she liked and she wanted his opinion about it. 

"I thought you wanted to buy a present for Jace" Simon said with a frown. "Is that what you want to buy him? A dress?" 

Izzy rolled her eyes. "No. It's for me of course. I need some new clothes for our christmas party."

"Why do you need new clothes for that?" Alec asked. "It's just our family and you already have dozens of dresses."

"But this one is sparkly." 

"I think you should try it on" Magnus said. "I'm sure it would look amazing on you." 

Izzy beamed. "That's what I thought as well. And by the way - you should also buy some new clothes for christmas" she said and turned to Alec. "Except you want to celebrate in a 10 year old black hoodie and acid washed jeans of course." 

"Acid washed jeans?" Magnus repeated before Alec had a chance to say something and stared at him as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard. "Are you serious?" 

Alec frowned, unable to follow his friend. "What do you mean?" 

"You can't possibly wear acid washed jeans" Magnus said in disbelief and he looked so shocked that it was almost funny. 

"I can't?" Alec teased him, now with an amused grin on his face.

"No, absolutely not. You have those stunning, incredibly long legs and it would be a shame to present them in that way." 

Stunning legs? Alec blushed deeply. Did Magnus really think that?

"I totally agree. Finally somebody who understands." Izzy took the dress she was interested in and grabbed Simon's hand. 

"Come on. We're going to go to the changing   
rooms and let Magnus help Alec to find a new outfit for him in the meantime." 

"Uh sure" Simon said and shortly afterwards the both of them disappeared behind the corner, leaving Alec alone with Magnus. Well not completely alone of course but as long as his friend was so close to him Alec didn't even realize that there were other people in the room as well.

"So, now we're going to find you a nice pair of pants that accentuate your legs. And maybe a nice shirt … " 

"Okay. If you insist" Alec said, his face still feeling hot because of the compliment Magnus had made him. He wasn't getting complimented often so it was very flattering to hear something positive about him. Especially because it was coming from Magnus.

"I'm sure that we're going to find something for you" Magnus said and the happy smile on his face automatically made Alec smile as well. Maybe shopping wasn't even that bad …

"Don't you want to look for something you like?" Magnus asked a few minutes later and it was only then that Alec realized that he had just been staring at his friend instead of looking at the clothes he was supposed to check out. 

Slightly embarrassed te cleared his throat. "I think it's better if you chose the clothes for me. When I get to pick it's probably just going to be a black sweater or something like that. Fashion is not really my strength." 

Magnus chuckled and after a short moment of searching he grabbed a blue button-down shirt from the clothes rail. "What do you think about this one?" he asked and held it in front of Alec's face. "It's elegant and sexy but not too flamboyant. I bet it would look amazing on you." 

"You think?" Alec hoped that he wasn't blushing again. He was a grown man after all so he should really be able to have things like that under control. 

Magnus nodded. "Yes of course" he said and Alec believed him.

"I wouldn't lie to you, Alexander. I'm always telling the truth." He winked at him and Alec's heart skipped a beat.

Fuck. He was so not over him. 

"Okay, I think I'll try it on" he said quickly and grabbed the shirt, before he could say or do something embarrassing. 

\-----------------------

"See? I told you that you would look awesome" Magnus said when Alec was coming out of the changing room a few minutes later. He was wearing the blue button-down shirt and a black pair of pants Magnus had chosen for him. They were tighter than the pants he was usually wearing but Alec had to admit that he wasn't feeling particularly uncomfortable in it - especially when Magnus was looking at him like that. 

"Thank you" Alec said and looked at his reflection in the mirror. Magnus was right - he really did look good in this. "I first thought that the pants are maybe a little bit too tight but surprisingly I'm feeling very comfortable in it." 

"And it is very nice to look at" Magnus added with a smirk on his face.

Great. Now he was blushing again. Alec wasn't sure if Magnus' flirting was just meant to be playful or if he was really serious about it but he didn't dare to ask. If he was wrong things might get awkward between them and he didn't want to risk that. 

"So you think I should buy the pants?" 

"Oh, definitely. And the shirt as well. There's just one little thing I would change when you're wearing it."

Alec frowned. "And what would that be?" 

"Well … may I?" Magnus asked and pointed at Alec's shirt. 

"Uh, sure" Alec said. Magnus was the Fashion expert after all and his opinion was very important to him. 

"Okay, so I thought that you could maybe show a little bit more skin" Magnus said and before Alec had a chance to really process those words his friend was already undoing the first two buttons of his shirt. 

Alec shivered slightly when Magnus' warm fingers brushed over his skin and it was suddenly very hard to breathe. He bit his lip because he was almost certain that otherwise he would maybe make some pretty embarrassing noises that showed how much this harmless little touch was triggering inside his body.

Magnus was standing so close to him that Alec could smell his shampoo and the scent of it was absolutely overwhelming. 

For a short moment he was hoping that Magnus would continue to unbutton his shirt and that he would also do the same with his pants afterwards but then he pulled his hands back again and Alec realized that they were still in public. And that Izzy was standing behind Magnus' back and was looking at him with a big smirk on her face.

Fuck. How long had she been watching them already? 

"Wow. Nice work, Magnus" she said eventually. "Alec you look really hot. Don't you think so too, Si?" 

"Oh, yes of course. It's a great outfit." 

"See? I told you" Magnus said softly and Alec got lost in his brown-golden eyes when he was looking at him. Gosh how much he had missed him. 

Alec had no idea how much time had passed but at some point Izzy cleared her throat. "Uh, I don't want to interrupt you guys but are you going to buy the clothes now or not?" she asked. 

"Oh, yeah. Sure. Of course" Alec stammered. "I'm going to change again." 

Quickly he walked back into the changing room and closed the door behind him. He took a deep breath and his heartbeat slowly calmed down again. 'Fuck' he thought. 'Magnus is totally going to kill me if he continues looking at me like that.'


	10. Chapter 10

POV MAGNUS   
Magnus' heart was still beating way too fast when Alec walked back into the changing room again. He looked absolutely stunning in his new outfit. But on the other hand he always looked very beautiful. 

Magnus sighed. 

"And?" Izzy asked and elbowed him. "He's very handsome, isn't he?" 

"Yes, he is." Magnus hesitated for a moment, not sure whether he should ask this or not but in the end his curiosity won. He didn't want Alec to hear this though so he pulled Izzy a bit further away from the changing room before he asked the question that was driving him insane all day already. "Isabelle, do you know if Alexander is in a romantic relationship in the moment?" 

"Hah so I was right after all" Alec's sister said triumphantly and smirked at him. "You really are interested in him." 

"Yes, I am. But what about this Andrew guy? Are they really a thing? Because I really don't want to come in between them." 

"Andrew and Alec?" Izzy laughed. "I guess our mother said something like that, am I right?"

Magnus nodded. "So they're not a thing?" he asked hopefully.

"Oh no, definitely not" Izzy said. "Alec is single for a long time already so if you want to make your move … go for it. I think you two would be an amazing couple." 

Happiness radiated through Magnus. He couldn't believe that this was really true. It seemed like life had actually given him a second chance with Alexander.

"Thank you so much, Isabelle." Magnus couldn't resist and pulled her into a hug again. Just in that moment Alec came out of the changing room, holding the clothes Magnus had chosen for him. 

"Hey what is going on here?" he asked, sounding slightly amused. "Did I miss something?" 

"No, nothing" Isabelle said quickly and stepped back from Magnus again. "I was just in the mood to hug somebody."

Alec chuckled. "You're really weird sometimes." 

"I take that as a compliment" Izzy said unimpressed. "Now come on, let's go to the checkout counter. We still have a lot of things to do after all." 

When they left the shopping mall around two hours later Simon and Izzy were both loaded with bags. Magnus had shown incredible restraint and hadn't bought anything unnecessary which he was very proud of. 

Thanks to his popularity in the fashion world (some people in the shops had recognised him earlier and it had been very hard not to draw too much attention on him after that) he had lots of money so it wouldn't really matter but Magnus didn't want to spend too much of it anyways. He always donated some of his money and he thought that this was much better than keeping it all to himself. He wanted to help people and now he finally had the chance to really do so. When he was young his family had been rather poor so Magnus was very proud that he had made it that far. Sometimes it still seemed like a dream to him.

When they eventually arrived at the Minivan Simon let out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank god" he said. "If I had to carry those bags one second longer I surely would have died."   
Izzy rolled her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic. I haven't bought that much."

Alec raised his eyebrows. "Seriously? You call ten bags of stuff not that much?" 

"Well most of it is not for me, is it? So actually I'm being very generous here" his sister defended herself and opened the trunk with her free hand so they could put the purchases inside the car.

Magnus really liked her a lot. They definitely had many things in common.

"And what are we going to do now?" Simon asked once they were done. "I'm hungry so maybe we could drive to a restaurant and eat something."

"Sounds good" Izzy said. "I'm starving." 

Magnus was just about to get into the car when he spotted something on the other side of the road that awakened his interest. 

"Hey, look at that" he said excited. "There's a horse-drawn sleigh over there." 

"Oh, yeah they always do that in winter" Alec said. "They offer sleigh rides through the park." 

"Wow that sounds amazing!" Magnus was thrilled. He had always wanted to drive a round with a horse-drawn sleigh like that. 

"I'm not a very big fan of horses but I think you two should go" Izzy said with a big smile on her face. Magnus could almost hear her thoughts but Alec didn't seem to realize what she was hinting at.

"Uh … yeah. We could do that. If Magnus wants to" he said, sounding insecure.

"Are you kidding? Of course I want to!" 

"But how are we going to come back home again then?" Alec asked.

"Well Izzy and I could go and have dinner somewhere near and in the meanwhile you two do your thing" Simon suggested. "We're going to meet again at the car in about one hour and then drive to the Bed and Breakfast together." 

Izzy beamed. "That's an amazing idea honey" she said and enthusiastically kissed Simon on the mouth. "That's how we're going to do it."

POV ALEC  
Alec wasn't sure why he was so nervous all of a sudden. He had already been alone with Magnus before that after all but somehow this felt different. It was dark around them and the only light was coming from the street lanterns that were standing along the footpath in the park. Not many people were around them and it was almost completely silent. All in all it was a very romantic atmosphere.

Alec gave the man who was going to drive them some money and then climbed into the sleigh behind Magnus who looked excited like a child on christmas day. "I've always wanted to do something like that" he said with a huge smile on his face and Alec couldn't help but notice how adorable he looked like that; his eyes glittering with excitement and his cheeks slightly red. 

"Me too actually" he said and sat down on the bench next to his friend. "I don't know why I haven't done it yet to be honest." 

"Oh, really? Then it's your first time too!" 

"Are you guys ready?" the coachman asked and turned around to look at them. 

They both nodded. 

"Okay, so the drive is going to be about twenty minutes long. If somebody starts feeling sick please tell me and I will stop immediately. Oh and my name is Hodge by the way." 

"Alright, Hodge" Magnus said and a few seconds later the sleigh started to move, silently gliding through the snow.

Alec had been in this park plenty of times in his childhood but lately he hadn't had as much time as before. His work had kept him busy all the time so he hadn't been here in a while - especially not in winter. 

He was very impressed how peaceful and beautiful it looked around them with the trees and the benches covered in fresh white snow. But no matter how hard he tried a just enjoy the view, his eyes wandered over to Magnus every ten seconds.

Eventually their eyes met and Magnus smiled at him in a way that made Alec's heart melt. "This so beautiful" he said. 

"Yes, that's true. It's so peaceful here." 

Magnus took a deep breath and sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. "I think I have never been more happy." 

Alec was surprised to hear that. "Really? 

"Of course." Magnus opened his eyes again and looked at him with a serious expression on his face. "I'm here with you after all."   
That statement made Alec speechless. 

"I … uh … I'm very happy about that too" he was eventually able to talk again. 

Magnus smiled. "You know … actually I'm feeling a bit cold all of a sudden" he said and wrapped his arms around his body. "Could I maybe cuddle up to you for a while?" 

Alec's heart skipped a beat. Magnus' looked at him innocently and Alec was almost certain that he actually wasn't feeling cold at all …

He swallowed. "Yeah, uh, sure" he said and tried to stay calm when Magnus moved closer to him and eventually rested his head on his shoulder. Hesitantly Alec raised his arm and wrapped it around his friend, pulling him even closer to his body. 

"Is that okay?" he asked quietly and blushed a bit when he heard how fragile his voice sounded all of a sudden. 

Magnus looked up to him and smiled. "More than okay." 

Wow. How did breathing work again?   
Alec was relieved when Magnus broke their eye contact again a moment later because he was certain that he would have fainted otherwise due to the lack of oxygen. 

It took Alec a few minutes but eventually he was able to relax and he started to enjoy the body contact between him and Magnus a lot. Somehow it just felt right to hold him like that. It was warm and safe and he never wanted to let him go again ...

"Are you still feeling cold?" Alec asked after a while. 

"No, not at all. You're so warm" Magnus mumbled and he sounded like he was about to fall asleep. He definitely didn't want to break the body contact between them and Alec didn't want that either so he just smiled, feeling drunk with happiness. Suddenly he had a feeling that this christmas wasn't going to be bad at all …


	11. Chapter 11

POV Alec 

"So here we are again, guys. Did you enjoy the ride?" Hodge asked when he stopped the horses about twenty minutes later and Alec felt disappointed that it was over already. Magnus pulled back from him in order to stand up and he immediately missed the warmth of his body.

"It was wonderful. Thank you very much."

"I'm glad to hear that. I hope you two enjoy the rest of your evening" Hodge said with a wink. It was obvious that he thought that he and Magnus were a couple and Alec couldn't help but blush. 

They said goodbye to him and left the park afterwards. Alec realized that Magnus was walking unusually close next to him and he wondered if he should take his hand but just when he was about to do so his phone vibrated in the pocket of his pants, distracting him.  
It was a message from Izzy, telling him that she and Simon would still need about half an hour until they were finished. He showed the message to Magnus who didn't seem to bother much.

"Oh, okay" he just said. "What are we going to do until then?" 

That was a good question. Alec thought for a moment, then he had an idea. "How about we grab a cup of coffee?" he suggested. "You seemed pretty tired and there's a nice coffee shop right around the corner." 

Magnus smiled at him. "That sounds great." 

Alec returned his smile and lead his friend to the right building. "Here it is" he said and stepped aside after opening the door, letting Magnus enter the coffee shop first. 

"Like a true gentleman" he said and Alec chuckled. He really enjoyed spending time with Magnus like that and the thought that he would leave again soon made his heart ache. He had already lost him once and he wasn't sure if he could bear letting him go for a second time. Being with him just felt so right and after their sleigh ride together he was almost certain that he wasn't alone with his feelings. 

"Hmmm … it smells so good in here" Magnus said while they were walking to the counter and Alec could only agree with him. 

They decided to take a coffee to go and drink it outside though because the room was very full already and almost all seats were taken. 

"There you go" Alec said when the barista was done and handed one of the two cups the woman had given him over to his friend. "But be careful, it's very hot."

"I think that's actually good because my hands are cold as fuck … ah, yes that's way better." Magnus closed his hands around the cup and sighed. "So warm." 

"You just could have said something" Alec remarked. "I have gloves in the pocket of my coat. I would have given them to you." 

"It's okay. I have the coffee now. But thank you." 

Alec shook his head but he couldn't hide a little smile. Magnus really was adorable. He turned around and the smile on his face faded immediately when he saw a very familiar face right in front of him. 

Jamie. 

He was sitting at one of the tables in the middle of the room and seemed to be writing something on his laptop. His black hair was tousled and a bit longer than it had been when Alec had seen him for the last time but apart from that he hadn't changed at all.  
For a short moment Alec was frozen in shock and only when he heard Magnus saying something to him he slowly came back to reality again.

"Alexander, is everything alright?" his friend asked, sounding concerned. 

Alec was just about to answer when Jamie suddenly lifted his head and looked directly into his eyes. Fuck. 

"Alec!" he said and stood up, coming over to them. In contrary to Alec he seemed to be very happy about their casual encounter. "It's nice seeing you again. You haven’t answered any of my calls and messages during the last few month and I was wondering how you were feeling.”

Oh so suddenly he cared about that, or what? Alec frowned and was about to reply something rude but then he decided against it. He still wasn't completely over what had happened between them but Jamie definitely didn't need to know about that. Alec didn't want him to get the wrong impression and think that he was still crying over him so he put a smile on his face instead.

“I’m fine, thanks. What about you?" 

"Honestly? I miss you a lot. But apart from that I'm fine I guess." 

'I miss you?' Was that guy for real? After what he had done he really had the nerve to say something like that now? Alec gnashed his teeth but he didn't want the situation to escalate, especially not when Magnus was with him, so he kept his angry thoughts to himself. His evening had been perfect so far and he wasn't going to let Jamie ruin it. 

"I'm very sorry but unfortunately I can't stay any longer" he said and before the other man could answer him he had already grabbed Magnus' hand and pulled him out of the coffee shop together with him. 

First Alec thought that Jamie was going to follow them outside but luckily he didn't. He let out a sigh of relief and realized only now that he was still holding Magnus' hand. Quickly he let go off him and apologized for his weird behavior.

"Hey, there's nothing to apologize for" Magnus said softly. "I assume you have a history with that man from the coffee shop, am I right?”

"Yeah you could say that." Alec ran his free hand through his hair, something he always did when he was tense. "His name is Jamie and we have been together for almost two years. But then he cheated on me, the day before christmas and obviously I broke up with him." He looked at Magnus and the expression on his face was a mixture of compassion and anger. 

"What an asshole. He clearly didn't appreciate you enough. You're a catch and everybody should be absolutely thrilled to be in a relationship with you" he said. 

"You really think so?" Alec asked, feeling flattered. 

"Of course I do. This guy is just plain stupid. Maybe I should go back and pour my coffee over his stupid laptop." 

Alec grinned amused. "That would be quite funny." 

"Oh, believe me, I would have done it if I had known what that idiot did to you. And then I would have ordered a piece cake and smashed it right into his face." 

And just like that Magnus had managed to make Alec feel better. He was laughing loudly and felt the tension slowly leaving his body again. 

A few minutes later it was almost like nothing had happened and he told Magnus about his job at the police. 

"You really love working there, don't you?" Magnus asked. 

Alec smiled. "Yes, I do" he said. "It just feels like it's exactly the right thing for me. I love helping other people and fighting for justice is a very important thing." 

"Plus you look extremely hot in that uniform" Magnus added with a little smirk on his face.  
Alec was shocked. His friend really was flirting with him. He didn't just imagine that.  
His heart started beating faster but he tried his best not to show his excitement openly. He was fighting an inner battle for a moment but then he decided to just go for it. The opportunity was there and he knew that he would hate himself later if he would just let it pass.

"I actually do look even better without any clothes" he whispered into his friend's ear and grinned satisfied when Magnus almost dropped his cup. 

POV Magnus 

Magnus was pretty sure that he was close to having a heart attack. Was Alexander really suggesting what he thought he did? 

When he was looking at his friend there was an hungry expression in his eyes and suddenly Magnus' knees felt kind of weak. Gosh, this was really happening - Alec was really flirting with him. He wanted him just as much as he did. 

Magnus licked his lips and was just about to say something when he saw Izzy and Simon approaching them from afar. 

Damn it. How was it possible that they had finished their dinner already? It surely hadn't been thirty minutes since Izzy's message already. Just when things started to get interesting they needed to get interrupted of course. 

Alec now spotted them as well and quickly took a step back from Magnus again, his courage visibly leaving him. 

During their ride home he tenaciously avoided looking at him and he barely spoke a word. It was driving Magnus insane. All his senses were focussed on his friend and he barely noticed that Izzy and Simon were still with them in the car as well. 

The ride seemed to last for an eternity and as soon as they arrived at the Bed and Breakfast Alec announced that he was going to go upstairs. Magnus seized the opportunity and followed him quickly. He knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep this night if this thing between them stayed unsolved like that so when he caught up with his friend on the hallway he grabbed his arm and stopped him from going into his room. Then he put everything onto one board and kissed him.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains sexual content. Please do not read it if you feel uncomfortable with that.

Alec couldn't breathe and he felt like his heart was going to jump out of his chest at any second. Magnus was kissing him. He was really kissing him and he was doing it so desperately as if he had been yearning for it just as long as he had. His hands were buried in Alec's hair and he pressed his whole body against his, making him shiver with excitement.  
Alec was completely overwhelmed by his friend's sudden attack but his initial shock quickly turned into passion and he returned the kiss eagerly, wrapping arms around Magnus' waist. 

He still had no idea what exactly his friend felt for him - was he really in love with him as well or did he just find him attractive? - but at the moment he couldn't care less about that. All he could concentrate on was that his dream was finally coming true and that he was kissing the man he was in love with. It would be incredibly stupid to destroy this by thinking too much. This was his chance to be as close to Magnus as he had always wanted to and he surely wouldn't let it pass. 

With determination he pushed his tongue into his friend’s mouth and started exploring his body at the same time, sliding his hands under his jacket and eventually also under the fabric of his shirt. Magnus moaned into their kiss when Alec started caressing his naked skin with his fingertips and it was the sexiest noise he had ever heard. 

“Alexander” he whispered breathlessly and hearing him saying his name like that, full with passion and need, made Alec give in completely to his urges. Almost forcefully he pushed Magnus against the wall and pressed his body against his, wanting him to feel how hard he already was because of him and he was extremely turned on when he realized that Magnus was in the same condition. 

“God, you’re killing me” he moaned weakly and grabbed Alec’s butt. 

“You’re talking to much.” Alec was a bit shocked about how deep his voice sounded all of a sudden but judging by his friend's reaction he seemed to like it a lot. 

"You're right" he panted and started moving his hips against Alec's, desperate for friction.

"Fuck." Alec sucked Magnus' lip between his teeth and bit him gently, his hands now moving from the back to the front so he could trace the muscles of the other man's sixpack. Magnus definitely was very good in shape and Alec was pretty sure that he was working out regularly. 

He was feeling extremely hot by now and he couldn't possibly go on like that any longer. He needed to get rid of his clothes right now or he would probably burst into flames. And he wanted Magnus naked as well. He wanted him naked underneath his body, moaning his name while he was making love to him for the whole night … 

"Bedroom. Now" Alec growled low in his throat and Magnus enthusiastically agreed with his plan. 

Without breaking their kiss Alec opened the door to his room and pushed Magnus inside. "Fuck. I really love that dominant side of you. That's so hot." 

“If you're feeling hot you should maybe take your clothes off, don't you think?" Alec asked and moved his lips away from Magnus' mouth, so he could kiss the side of his neck instead. Hungrily he moved his lips over his friend's skin and he tried to memorize exactly how he tasted. Maybe this was the only time he had the chance to do this. Magnus would leave again in a few days after all ... 

For a short moment Alec came back to his senses and realized what he was doing here but then he saw that Magnus had taken off his jacket and started to unbutton his shirt already and his hesitation quickly melted away again. Quickly he grabbed the fabric and teared it from his friend's body with shaking hands.

The shirt landed in the floor and Alec pulled back from Magnus for a moment, so he could look at him. "You're so beautiful" he whispered overwhelmed and ran his hands over his naked chest. "So fucking beautiful. How are you even real?" 

Slowly he raised his head and looked into his friend's face. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes dark with desire. But there also was something more. The way he was looking at him … there were so many emotions in his eyes and Alec knew now that this wasn't just about want and lust. It was about love. About needing each other. Magnus needed him just as much as he did. 

"Look who's talking" Magnus mumbled after they had just been looking at each other for a perfect little eternity. He raised his hand and gently cupped Alec's face. "You're absolutely perfect, Alexander. And I'm so sorry that I didn't realize that earlier." He swallowed and Alec was almost sure to see tears glittering in his eyes. "I just can't be without you. I tried for years but I just can't get happy when you're not a part of my life. It always felt like there was a part of me missing and that was you. It was always you, Alexander."   
Now Alec was about to cry as well. Hearing Magnus saying those things to him was all he had ever wished for.

"I - I love you, Magnus. I've loved you for so many years now. You being back is the best christmas present I could have ever wished for." 

"I love you too. So much." Magnus let out a shaky laugh. "I can't believe that I have been so blind all the time. But I see you now. Only you." Then he leaned forward and kissed Alec again. This kiss was different than their first one. It was careful and incredibly soft but deep at the same time. Slowly he moved his lips against Alec's and he melted into his arms, holding him tightly. 

"I'm never going to let you go again. Never." 

"I'm all yours Alexander" Magnus answered softly. "And now sleep with me, please. I want to feel you. I want you completely." 

Of course Alec didn't have to be asked twice. About two minutes later all their clothes had found their way on the floor and they fell onto the bed together. Feeling Magnus' naked skin on his made Alec's whole body tingle with excitement and he felt like every nerve inside him was on fire. 

First Magnus was lying on top of him but Alec quickly changed their positions and pressed him into the mattress instead, his hard cock rubbing against his. Magnus moaned into his mouth and his hands started roaming over Alec's body, stroking and touching and discovering every inch of his skin. 

His whole mind was filled with Magnus now and how good it felt to be together with him like that. Like it was meant to be. 

Alec had never felt like that before. Making out with Jamie had felt good - he had always enjoyed it - but it was no comparison to this. Magnus made him feel like he was floating. He made him feel like at was at home. 

They weren't talking any longer at this point and communicated by looking at each other instead. The only noises that could be heard in the silence of the room were their sensual moans and the squeaking of the bed when Alec eventually started moving inside of Magnus. He was so tight and warm and looked so incredibly sexy lying underneath him. His mouth was standing open and his eyes were closed in pleasure. 

His legs were wrapped around Alec's waist and his hands were in his hair again, tugging and pulling demandingly. They were so close to each other how they could possibly be and Alec never wanted this to end again.   
He took his time and loved Magnus like he deserved it, slowly and deeply. Everytime when he felt that he was close he slowed down his pace again but at some point Magnus started to get impatient and he couldn't hold himself back any longer as well.   
He tightened his grip on Magnus' waist and pushed into him harder. 

"Yes, god yes, please don't stop" Magnus moaned loudly and their mouths came together in a hot and messy kiss. "Give it to me hard." 

"Fuck, Magnus." Alec changed his angle a bit and started moving faster, his body trembling with the need to finally find its release. 

For a moment he was concerned that he was being too rough but Magnus' reactions made it clear that he didn't have to worry about that. 

"Ah, yes, that's so good … take me, Alexander. Don't hold back" he begged and shortly afterwards he was already coming with a silent scream on his lips. 

Alec felt Magnus' clenching around him and that immediately pushed him over the edge as well. "Oh fuck … Magnus …" he moaned and desperately continued to push into the other man's body while he coming inside of him. 

After he was done Alec was completely breathless and he collapsed on top of his lover.   
"Gosh that was incredible." 

Magnus gave a laugh. "That's definitely an understatement." 

Alec smiled blissfully and looked down at the man he was in love with. He raised his hand and gently brushed a strand of hair out of Magnus' face, still hardly able to believe his luck. Then he leaned down to him and kissed him softly. 

"I love you" Magnus whispered against his lips and Alec's heart jumped with happiness when he heard him saying those magical three words again. 

"I love you too."


	13. Chapter 13

POV Magnus 

It was shortly after 9am when Magnus was woken up by the sun shining through the window. Sleepily he blinked a few times and tried to adjust his eyes to the sudden brightness. It took a moment until his brain started working again and a long sigh escaped him when he remembered the amazing dream he had had. Alec had told him that he loved him. He had said that he was beautiful. 

Automatically a smile spread on Magnus' face when he remembered how incredibly real and overwhelming everything had felt. Just as real as the two strong arms that were wrapped around his body right now and were holding him tightly, making him feel so warm and comfortable that he didn't want to get out of bed ever again ...

Wait a minute ...

Magnus stopped breathing for a few seconds and he realized that there was somebody snoring quietly right next to his ear. 

Alexander. Alexander was here with him in bed. He was holding him and … and they were both naked. Completely naked. 

So his dream hadn't been a dream at at. It had really happened. He had slept with his best friend. The man he was in love with.

Carefully Magnus turned around, wanting to look into Alec's face while he was sleeping but unfortunately the movement woke him up and he slowly opened his eyes. First he seemed startled about the situation they were in but when their gazes met he broke into a breathtaking smile. 

"Magnus" he mumbled sleepily and stroked his long fingers over his stomach, making him shiver. "You're really here. You're really here with me." 

Apparently he wasn't the only one who still couldn't really believe that last night had actually happened. Magnus nodded and he felt tears burning in his eyes when he answered. 

"Yes, I am. I'm here Alexander" he whispered and cupped the other man's face with the palm of his hand. "And I'm happier than I have ever been."

"Me too." 

They looked at each other and Magnus was overwhelmed by how beautiful Alec looked in the morning. His dark hair was messier than ever and his hazel eyes gleamed in the sunlight, almost looking golden. 

'Like an angel' Magnus thought fascinated. 

"Can I kiss you?" he asked because since he knew how sweet his best friends lips tasted and how incredibly good they felt on his it was even harder to resist him. It was like Magnus was already addicted to his kisses. 

Alec chuckled. "You're seriously asking that? After what happened last night?" 

Magnus rolled his eyes, but he was grinning. "Shut up" he said, then he buried his hands in Alec's hair and kissed him softly, his heart jumping with happiness. But still there was a little part inside of him that couldn't help but worry: what would happen after christmas was over and Magnus had to go back to London again? He didn't want to leave Alec behind a second time. He couldn't. Not now that he finally knew that their feelings towards each other were mutual. He didn't want this to be the only time that he was waking up next to this beautiful man. Magnus wanted to spend more mornings with Alec like this. He didn't want to leave him.

Magnus' emotions took over and he pulled Alec tighter against his body, wrapping his legs around his waist. He kissed him almost desperately now and he felt like he was about to drown. 

Alec put his hands on Magnus' hips and let them wander over his naked skin, his touch gentle but yet incredibly intense. It was almost  
impossible to put into words what Magnus felt at the moment. There were so many things going on inside him, so many feelings and sensations that were threatening to overwhelm him. He had no idea whether this thing with Alec would work out in the end, whether they could really have a future together but that just made him more determined to enjoy every second that he could spend together with him right now. It made every feeling and every touch so much more intense and meaningful. 

They continued kissing each other until they were both breathless and their lips were swollen. Only reluctantly Magnus pulled his head back again at some point and looked down at Alec's face. 

His cheeks were flushed and there was a dreamy expression in his eyes that made Magnus chuckle. "You look completely spaced out." 

"What do you expect after you kiss me like that?" Alec defended himself and laughed quietly. His arms were now wrapped around Magnus' neck and his fingers were softly playing with his hair. "You're driving me completely crazy." 

Magnus grinned widely. "In a good way I hope."

"Actually good would be an understatement" Alec said and pulled Magnus' head down in order to kiss him again but shortly before their lips touched a low rumbling sound interrupted them. Magnus blushed embarrassed when he realized that the noise had been coming from his stomach and Alec giggled amused. 

"Sounds like somebody is pretty hungry" he teased Magnus. 

"Well we kinda skipped dinner yesterday and immediately jumped to dessert instead, didn't we?" Magnus looked into Alec's face and he almost started to get hard when he saw that his friend was licking his lips.

"Oh yes, that's true" he said in a voice that send a very pleasant shiver down Magnus' spine and the expression in Alec's eyes was so intense that it took his breath away for a moment. 

Fuck, Magnus wanted him so badly now but before he was able to bring his plan to life Alec squirmed out of his arms and stood up. 

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Magnus complained indignantly, immediately missing the other man's warmth and the feeling of his skin under his fingers. 

"I'm going to take a shower." 

Oh. That sounded very promising though. Also it definitely wasn't the worst thing to see Alec standing in the middle of his room without any piece of clothing on his body, looking like greek god or a sculpture by Polyklet. 

"Would you mind if I joined you?" Magnus asked almost innocently and Alec laughed. 

"That sounds very tempting but I'm afraid we won't ever get out of that shower again if you join me in there now." 

Magnus raised his eyebrows. "Is that supposed to scare me off or something like that? Because it's rather doing the opposite of that." 

Slowly Magnus let his eyes wander up and down Alec's perfect body and he felt his throat getting try. God that man was totally going to kill him at some point.

He remembered that Alec had been very shy as a teenager but now he was way more confident already and Magnus really liked his new side of him. Actually a lot of things had changed since he had seen Alexander for the last time. Apparently he had been hit with an enormous growth spurt after Magnus and his family had left because he was extremely tall now. With sixteen Magnus had still been the one who was towering him but now the tables had turned and he couldn't argue that he loved it. It definitely was a big turn on. 

But there were things that hadn't changed as well: his laugh was still exactly the same and the way he looked at Magnus also wasn't any different than it had been back then. Suddenly he felt incredibly stupid that he hadn't noticed it earlier. There was so much love in Alec's eyes when he was looking at him so he had probably already been in love with him back then, when Magnus had still been together with Camille. That thought almost made his heart break. He couldn't even imagine how terrible Alec must have felt then, seeing him kissing somebody else everyday for so long. When he had apologized to Magnus for having stopped talking to him the day before Alec had said that he had been jealous and only now Magnus really understood his words. Alec had loved him for so many years already but he had been convinced that he wouldn't feel the same way about him. 

"Hey, Magnus. Is everything alright?" Alec's voice brought him back to reality again and Magnus cleared his throat. 

"Yeah, uh, everything's fine. I'm good." 

Alec smiled at him. "Looked like you were really far gone for a moment. Well anyways - I will take a shower now and maybe we can take a bath together later in the evening. How does that sound?" He was now standing in front of the bed with his right hand on Magnus' cheek.

Magnus swallowed and nodded. "Sounds amazing" he said quietly. 

"That's exactly what I thought." Alec leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, then he pulled back again and walked into the bathroom. 

Magnus looked after him and sighed. Having Alec in his life again made him more than happy and he hoped that somehow they could make this work. That they would be able to stay together. He wanted this to last more than he had ever wanted anything else and he was determined to show Alec how much he meant to him every day from now on ...


End file.
